Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-28
EXISTENCE IN A GREAT CITY
Why Stranger Must Have His Eyes
About Him.

NEW YORK, Feb. 26.-The greatest
secret of enjoying existence in this city
is that one must be absolutely the master
or his own eyes. Queer idea, chr lie not
every one master of thems No, indeed,
and 10 be so ls the constant aim of every
man and woman who comes here to stay,
as we'll as host OF the natives. "Bungry
joe" the arch confidence operator, used
to say that he could distinguish a stranger
by his hat or shoes. The idea that these
betray men is SO deep rooted that many
strangers always buy New York hats
and shoes as soon as they arrive, while
others who expect to come often to town
order these wearables from city shops.
But you can get correct hate and shoes in
any large city and you can get of styles
in the Bowery.
Besides, some OF our best known oiti-
zens lack the metropolitan stamp. Ell
bridge Il. Gerry, Commodore, yacbtman
and president of a great reformatory So
ciety, looks like Jersey farmer in the
fur cap he wears, even in the warmest
weather. George Francis Train has tam
ned mis- skin like a Texan and has the
general air of man from a new COM
munity. Joseph Keppler, the caricaturist,
appears to have come fresh from Ger
many on one day and from Spain on the
IL
Ex-Mavor Edison always looks like man
escaping from the cares OF busy coun-
try grocery. Perry Belmont looks like a
gentleman farmer immersed in country
lite, and nobody who sees Stephen v.
White, the millionaire broker and Con-
gresham, with his tull beard, bent form
and lnattentiOn to dress, can trace in his
appearance any close connection with the
typical aspect of Gothamite. Cyrus
Etal 10
and perpetual. while Gov. David B. Hill
(who is an EImira MANI can't be told
from New Yorker by anything about
him. But whatever one looks like he
must control his eyes or life will Re per-
petual torment to him. Our dudes and
Ang omaniac society men carry the thing
too ar. They go about, forever looking
over every ones heads, or else staring
with a dead and live CLASSY look, insult
ing alike to wbomsoeyer they glance at
and to their own intelligence. This they
think "the grand air" and their admirers
dub IL arist0cratlc. A ward politician
the other day said to me that Maurice j.
Power, the leader of the Cleveland faction
OF our Democracy, was ''getting 'risto-
cratic" ] asked how he was showing
this. "Oh," said the heller, "he always
has tired look and he don't seem to see
you less he wants to-"
But by ''eye-cOntrol' mean the seeing
OF everything without being seen to do so.
This necessity is bred by the horde of
street bandits that prey upon every man
out Of doors. Their number is legion and
their WAYS are the ways of brigands. The
New Yorker who goes about off his guard
is sure TO suffer as Judge Noah Davis did
the other day when he met a bunco mans
eye. II man let's his eyes fall on a boy
who utters a peculiar street crv he is apt
to have from two to SIX newsboys leap
tor him like so many human catapults.
As he steps from hotel, theatre. depot
or club, if he allows his ewes to wander
an instant. he will be at once surrounded
aud hemmed in by cabmen, each seeking
mis- custom even by violence. If he turns
his head to look at the mendicant who
addresses him he may not he able to get
rid of the fellow for block. Resting the
eye for an instant on a group of we'll